The Peoples Democratic Party Governors’ Forum, on Wednesday, welcomed the verdict of the Supreme Court granting financial autonomy to local governments.
The PDP governors also called on the Federal Government to speed up the ongoing deliberation of the new minimum wage.
They stated this at their meeting in Enugu State on Wednesday.
The meeting was attended by all the 13 state governors elected on the PDP platform.
The communique containing the resolution of the forum was read to journalists by the Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
The opposition governors berated the ruling All Progressives Congress for allegedly ruining the nation’s economy and reversing the gains made during the 16-year rule of the PDP.
They said the APC had through its policies plunged Nigerians into misery.
The PDP governors caleld on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate actions to restore the nation’s former glory, lamenting that the significant progress made during the 16 years of PDP leadership – including single-digit inflation, the establishment of anti-corruption institutions, and improved standards of living – had been eroded under the APC-led government.
The PDP governors also declared their support for Organised Labour’s agitation for a fair minimum wage while asking that President Bola Tinubu should fast-track the process to unveil the new minimum wage.
“The Forum identified with the struggles of the Nigerian people and pledged to revive the past achievements, characterised by low inflation, affordable food, fuel, and transportation, steady foreign direct investment, a strong naira value, and enhanced quality of life.
“The meeting commended PDP-controlled state governors for their innovative governance approaches, particularly in infrastructure development, education, healthcare, women and youth initiatives, and timely delivery of developmental projects across the country.”
On the minimum wage, the PDP Governors Forum stated that the negotiations were becoming unduly protracted, considering the unprecedented hardship and impoverishment of the majority of Nigerian people.
The communique partly read: “That Labour’s demand for a substantial salary raise is eminently justified and, therefore, commands the total support of the Forum.
“While the Forum fully supports Labour’s demand, the agreement must take into consideration the ability to pay by the local government, sub-national and Federal Government.
“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint in both utterances and actions that could lead to the complete breakdown of law and order and ultimately, the collapse of the economy.”
On the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy, the PDP governors expressed their support, pointing out that the efficacy of the local government system would ensure that governance was brought closer to the people as provided for in the Constitution.
However, the Forum urged that the implementation of the court decision “must be done in a manner that does not create a trust deficit between the federal governments and sub-national governments while also ensuring that the system does not suffer.”
On the off-season elections in Edo and Ondo states, the PDP governors called on President Tinubu to show leadership as a true democrat by refraining from making any statement suggestive of political interference in the entire process.
“The forum urges the Independent National Electoral Commission to provide a level playing field that guarantees transparent, fair and unimpeachable elections as any act of bias will be totally resisted.”
On the crisis in the political crisis in Rivers State, the forum declared its support for Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
